The 3 Functions of Visuals in Learning

“It looks nice… but does it teach anything?”

That’s the question many L&D professionals and instructional designers ask when reviewing visuals in a course. And it’s a fair one.

In the world of corporate training and e-learning, visuals are everywhere — icons, charts, diagrams, animations. But too often, they’re treated like decorations: pretty add-ons meant to “spice things up.”

At F.Learning, we believe visuals aren’t just about how something looks. They’re about how learners think, feel, and retain knowledge. That’s why we design visuals with intention — because every shape, color, and movement can do more than catch the eye. It can shape the learning journey.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• ✅ The 3 essential functions visuals play in learning — beyond surface-level design
• ✅ Real-world examples of how each function boosts learning outcomes
• ✅ A practical checklist to help you evaluate whether your visuals are truly working

Let’s uncover what visuals are really meant to do — and why designing with purpose is the difference between content that’s forgettable and content that sticks.

Design Approach	What It Looks Like	What It Feels Like to the Learner
Aesthetic-First	Decorative illustrations, complex transitions, trendy UI	“Looks cool, but I’m not sure what to focus on.”
Learning-First	Purposeful visuals that clarify and guide	“I get it. This makes it easier to understand and remember.”

Function 1: Communication — Visuals That Do the Explaining

In learning, words often fall short. When you’re explaining a complex idea, a well-designed visual can do more than support the message — it becomes the message.

This is the communication function of visuals: turning abstract or complex information into something learners can actually understand, remember, and apply.

Here are the 6 visual types we use at F.Learning — and what they do best:

1. Representational – What it looks like

Purpose: Show the real-life appearance of objects, people, tools, or environments. Use it when: Learners need to recognize or identify something in real life.

📌 Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIU1LZVM0T0

In this video, we recreated a real clinical setting to demonstrate proper disinfection protocols in ENT procedures. The visuals are crafted to reflect actual tools, environments, and staff actions — balanced with the client’s branding. This representational approach helps healthcare professionals visualize the exact steps they need to follow in real life, bridging training and daily practice.

2. Mnemonic – How to remember it

Purpose: Help learners recall information by associating it with symbols, shapes, or catchy visuals. Use it when: Learners need to retain a sequence, steps, or names.

📌 Example:

This visual simplifies the cash flow relationships between a firm, its investors (equity and bond holders), and the government. By using distinct icons and directional arrows, it helps learners remember how money moves through the system — making abstract finance concepts easier to recall and apply. Instead of memorizing definitions, learners can mentally “replay” the diagram structure.

3. Organizational – Where things belong

Purpose: Show hierarchy, structure, or grouping to help learners mentally organize content. Use it when: Introducing systems, levels, or categories.

📌 Example: In a retail training program, we visualized the company’s product lines using a tiered pyramid showing high-end, mid-range, and budget categories — helping sales reps understand positioning.

🖼️ Media suggestion: Concept map or pyramid diagram.

4. Relational – How things connect

Purpose: Visualize relationships between data, processes, or concepts. Use it when: Comparing values, showing cause/effect, or explaining interactions.

📌 Example: To teach soft skills, we created a Venn diagram to show how communication, empathy, and collaboration overlap — and where each stands alone.

🖼️ Media suggestion: Venn diagram, flowchart, or bar chart with annotations.

5. Transformational – How things change

Purpose: Show progression, movement, or change over time. Use it when: Explaining evolving processes or timelines.

📌 Example: In a leadership course, we animated the career growth path — showing how responsibilities shift from junior to senior roles.

🖼️ Media suggestion: Timeline or morphing graphic (use GIF/video if possible).

6. Interpretive – What it means

Purpose: Explain abstract concepts or internal states using metaphors or analogies. Use it when: Topics are intangible (e.g., motivation, mental health, emotional safety).

📌 Example: We visualized burnout as a leaking fuel tank — helping learners feel what exhaustion means beyond definitions.

🖼️ Media suggestion: Visual metaphor, animated scenario, or illustration.

Quick Tip: Match the Function to the Goal

When you design or evaluate a visual, ask:

“What job is this visual doing for the learner — is it showing, reminding, organizing, comparing, evolving, or interpreting?”

If the answer is “none of the above,” it may be time to redesign with more intention.

Function 2: Psychological Impact — Guiding Attention and Emotion

Even the clearest information won’t stick if learners can’t stay focused or emotionally connected. That’s where visuals step in — not to decorate, but to direct attention and support motivation.

This is the psychological function of visuals: shaping how learners feel, focus, and process content.

Function	Purpose in Learning	When to Use It
Attention Guidance	Uses contrast, hierarchy, or animation to draw the learner’s eyes to key information	Highlight the most important point in a slide, diagram, or screen
Emotional Framing	Sets the emotional tone — helping learners feel curious, calm, or open to learning	Create a sense of safety, urgency, or interest
Cognitive Load Reduction	Removes unnecessary visuals or organizes them clearly to avoid overwhelming the learner	Simplify busy layouts, chunk content, or pace animations
Mental Model Support	Helps learners build a mental map of how things connect	Reinforce key concepts across screens or modules through consistency

Quick Application Tip:

Ask:

Is this visual making the learner’s thinking process easier — or adding to their mental workload?”

Function 3: Motivation — Making Content Approachable and Sticky

Even when content is well-explained and cognitively clear, learners may still tune out — especially with topics that feel dry, complex, or overwhelming. That’s where visuals play their third key role: motivating learners to stay engaged.

This isn’t about adding fun for fun’s sake. It’s about visuals that create flow, momentum, and a sense of progress.

Function	Purpose in Learning	When to Use It
Emotional Connection	Builds empathy, relatability, or humor through characters or familiar scenarios	Use when introducing complex or sensitive topics
Perceived Progress	Shows that learning is advancing — via steps, checkpoints, or transitions	Use in long-form or multi-step modules
Tone and Energy Framing	Uses rhythm, animation, or playful layouts to reduce boredom and keep learners engaged	Use in onboarding, soft skills, or content that’s heavy in theory

Quick Application Tip:

Ask:

“If I were the learner, would this visual make me want to keep going?”

Visuals That Work: A Quick 3-Function Checklist

Before signing off on your next visual, ask:

✅ Function	✅ Key Question	✅ Example Cue
Communication	Does this visual help explain, organize, or simplify the content?	Diagram, icon, flowchart, concept map
Psychological Impact	Is it guiding attention, reducing overload, or supporting focus?	Highlighted keywords, clean layout
Motivation	Does it make the content feel more engaging, human, or approachable?	Relatable characters, visual pacing

If a visual doesn’t serve one (or more) of these functions, it may be better left out. Designing with intention means every visual has a job to do — not just a space to fill.